The sheep sheltering against a stone wall, rain sodden, miserable, but with nowhere else to go; wondered if I was right in the head. Working outdoors in the Mourne's I frequently have to deal with wet weather. Damp seaweed, closed pine cones, a scarcity of bees and restless pigs all give a rough indication of the amount of precipitation in the air, but for a really accurate weather forecast you need to turn on the TV or look up to the sky. The wind direction can determine if you are likely to face rain, snow or thunderstorms; while the contrasting direction of low and high clouds known as 'the crossed winds rule' indicates changing weather conditions. Most predictions seem to be variations of 'rain expected in upland areas'. Packing waterproofs and recognising an approaching bad weather front is a skill hill walkers should try to master. Heading out on a bright sunny morning I failed to employ either ancient or modern forecasting methods. Waterproofed from head to toe I quickly discovered that it is almost impossible to draw during a downpour. It is also foolhardy; each and every page of my sketchbook would have to be dried out with a hairdryer. Sketchbooks, like diaries record both the good days and washouts', encasing mine in a plastic bag deep inside a rucksack helps protect the previous images. A small pop up tent or a fisherman's shelter would have been another useful addition, light to carry and perfect for painting in this type of weather, providing protection from the rain, the midges and gaze of ominous sheep. After a quick sketch I packed up and headed for home, looking forward to my next soaking, this time in a hot bath.